...answers experts who questioned his all-round credentials

NOTTINGHAM: Much like India Test openers suffered while being compared with Sunil Gavaskar until Virender Sehwag arrived and set his own rules tackling the new ball, Hardik Pandya’s credentials as an all-rounder have also been questioned.

On Sunday, the 24-year-old cricketer laid a marker with a sensational spell of 5/28, his maiden five-wicket innings haul in Tests, to rout England for 161 in the third Test at Trent Bridge on Day 2 to give India, down 0-2 in the series, a great chance to pull one back. Pandya bowled at lively pace, and importantly pitched the ball up to exploit great seaming conditions as India pacers claimed all 10 wickets in a single session after lunch.

Everyone acknowledges Pandya is a fantastic limited-overs player, an integral part of ODI and T20 sides as well as IPL team, Mumbai Indians. They also see him as a rare seam-bowling allrounder of international standing India has produced. However, he has also been caught in a needless comparison.

Teased at first as India’s new Kapil Dev, it took on a life of its own. Soon experts, especially those who had played with or against India’s 1982 World Cupwinning skipper, one of the finest all-round cricketers the game has seen, frowned at the comparison.

Former West Indies pace great Michael Holding, doing TV commentary in the series, has more than once said there can’t be comparisons with Kapil.

However, it took one gloomy afternoon for Pandya to chip away at that image.

Pandya was brought on by skipper Virat Kohli with England 82/3 and looking shaky against seam. The spell he bowled left even Gavaskar, here for TV commentary, raving and also pointing out the high 80 mphs notched by him. He had England skipper Joe Root caught at second slip by KL Rahul with his first delivery. The aggressive Jonny Bairstow too fell to the same combine. He then showed true aggression to force Chris Woakes, centurion in the second Test, to nick behind the stumps before switching back to length balls and getting rid of Adil Rashid and Stuart Broad.

BRIGHT START

It was Pandya’s energy in limitedovers that saw Kohli back him to make his Test debut on last year’s Sri Lanka tour. He hit a century in his third Test, 108. The blistering 93 he struck in the first Test at Cape Town, off just 95 delivery, also pointed to the promise he held with the bat.

Although India lost that first Test of the series, Pandya was the highest scorer on a tough pitch, against South Africa’s strong pace attack. However, his low scores in this series and a lack of penetration as a support seamer had left some doubts.

Before the Trent Bridge Test, he had 10 wickets in nine matches with a best of 3/66.